This invention generally relates to the art of connector assemblies, such as fiber optic connector assemblies, electrical connector assemblies and the like, and particularly to a cable management system for such connector assemblies.
A connector assembly, such as a fiber optic connector assembly or an electrical connector assembly, typically includes some form of housing which mates with a complementary mating connector such as an electrical connecting device or an optical fiber transmission device. The connector housing may terminate a plurality of cables which are to be interconnected with the complementary mating connector. For instance, the housing may include a plurality of passages for receiving ferrules terminated to the fiber cores of fiber optic cables or for receiving conductive terminals terminated to the conductors of a plurality of electrical cables.
The housings of such connector assemblies as described above typically include a rear face from which the cables emanate. With the ever-increasing miniaturization of the electronics and fiber optics in various industries, along with the accompanying miniaturization of connector assemblies as described above, considerable problems have been encountered in handling or managing the small cables which emanate from the connector housings. This is particularly true with angled connectors where the cables exit the rear face of a connector housing and extend at a right-angle away therefrom. The cables which often must be terminated at particular positions or passages in the housing tend to become commingled at the rear of the connector. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing a unique cable management system for such connector assemblies.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved cable management system in a connector assembly, such as a fiber optic connector assembly which terminates a plurality of fiber optic cables or an electrical connector assembly which terminates a plurality of electrical cables.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, a connector housing has a front mating face, a rear face and a plurality of cable terminating passages extending therebetween. Each of a plurality of cables includes a terminating end for receipt in one of the cable terminating passages of the housing and an enlarged retention section spaced from the terminating end. The length of the cables between the terminating ends and the enlarged retention sections are generally equal. A backshell is mounted to the housing and extends away from the rear face thereof. The backshell includes a right-angled cavity within which the cables extend at a right-angle from the rear face of the housing. A plurality of retention recesses are provided in the cavity for capturing the enlarged retention sections of the cables. The retention recesses are at varying locations in a direction longitudinally of the cables to accommodate different locations of the passages from which the respective cables emanate.
As disclosed herein, the passages are in a linear array in the housing, and the retention recesses in the backshell are in a stepped array longitudinally of the cables. The backshell is a two-part structure and includes a base and a cover, with the right-angled cavity and the retention recesses being in the base. The enlarged retention sections of the cables comprise ring sections about the cables, such as crimp rings clamped onto the cables.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.